Family Vacation 2020, Part 1 - South Dakota

Family vacations have always been a huge part of my life. Growing up, my parents would pack us in the car and we'd head to Florida, Colorado, Michigan, Texas...you name it! These trips have always held a special place in my heart, and I knew that when Drew and I started our own family, we would want to do the same.

Our little family of three just got back from a 10-day trip out west. We visited South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. The fresh air, wildlife, lack of cell service/WiFi/news alerts was so refreshing. It was good for the heart and soul! We honestly didn't want to leave.

We packed a lot into those 10 days, so I feel it's only necessary to make this blog a three-part series.

Up first, South Dakota!

Day 1

On the Road Again

"I just can't wait to get on the road again..."

As I mentioned earlier, road trips were a big deal in my family. My grandma and grandpa Klamert oftentimes made these trips with us. Whenever we were departing, my grandparents ALWAYS started to sing, "On the Road Again," by Willie Nelson. Well you all are not going to believe this, but when Drew, Henry and I were backing out of our driveway, "On the Road Again" came on the radio!!! I took it as a sign that it was going to be an amazing road trip, and that maybe, just maybe, we had two extra passengers on the road with us.

"21 and Up" Crowd

Our first official stop was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Drew had been here before on a work trip, and knew it would be the perfect stop for lunch. We made the trek downtown and found the restaurant Drew had been raving about - JL Beers, a great little burger joint. We walked in, and were immediately turned away. "It's 21 and up in here, Sorry." WHATT? It's 12 o'clock on a Saturday? You're not going to let a family come into a burger place just because we have a two-year-old? RUDE. This unfortunately wouldn't be the only time this happened on our trip..

We ended up eating at the Blarney Stone Irish Pub. It had great open-air seating. We both got the Reuben sandwiches and sweet potato fries. (Yeah, we went off our diet for this trip!) The fries came with this amazing mayo-based dipping sauce. It was SO tasty. Highly recommend this place if you are ever in Sioux Falls!

Dinosaur Discovery and Falls Park

Henry has an eye for dinosaurs. It doesn't matter where we are, he can always point them out. Sioux Falls' Washington Pavilion has an outdoor Spinosaurus Dinosaurs exhibit. We of course had to stop and take a few pictures. The look on Henry's face was worth the stop!

If you ever visit Sioux Falls, you have to make a stop at Falls Park, where the Big Sioux River runs, and the town gets its namesake. The picturesque public park has plenty of space to spread out and watch the water. There is also a cafe, observation tower and the remains of an old mill. Be sure to go over the bridge to get the best view of the falls! Parking was limited, so plan on a bit of a walk to get to the falls.

Dignity: Of Earth & Sky

Everyone we talked to prior to our trip told us we had to stop at the Chamberlain rest stop. Okay, but what's so special about a rest area? It's Dignity: Of Earth & Sky, a beautiful 50-foot-tall statue overlooking the landscape below. Located on a bluff off Interstate 90 near Chamberlain, the statue honors the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people. And the view is breathtaking.

"Have You Dug Wall Drug?"

You've probably seen the signs as you drive through South Dakota - "It's Cool: Wall Drug;" "Have You Dug Wall Drug?" "Free Ice Water!" They all have one thing in common: to get you to stop at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. Started in 1936, Wall Drug is a tourist attraction known for its free ice water, five-cent coffee and all-things-South-Dakota souvenirs. There's plenty of shopping, eating, and activities to discover. Things were pretty quiet thanks to COVID, so it only took us about an hour to walk the entire store. We left with some fudge, a buffalo and fox for Henry, and a sticker for the Yeti. It's fun to say we've been there, but I don't see us making the stop next time we come through the area.

Since it was late in the day, instead of heading over to the Badlands National Park, we made the trek into Rapid City where we would be staying for the next two nights.

We stopped for dinner downtown at Independent Ale House. for some delicious pizza, beer, and root beer! They too were a little hesitant because we had a kid in tote. I guess things are just different out west.

Day 2

Mount Rushmore

Up early to make our way to Mount Rushmore. We took the scenic drive up the mountainside and the first glimpse of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln was astonishing. I wasn't sure what to expect: some people said it was underwhelming; some have said it was one of the coolest things they've ever seen. I was a little bit in the middle, I thought it would be bigger, but it was still really impressive, just thinking about the time and talent it took to create it. We lucked out and it wasn't crowded at all! We took our pictures and then headed to the Presidential Trail Loop, which is a 0.6 mile trail that takes you up close and personal with the sculpture. I will admit, the closer you get, the more magnificent it gets! The trail has several steps, so if you can't maneuver stairs very well, this may not be for you.

Funny story while we were there... remember that fox we bought at Wall Drug for Henry? Well unfortunately it made its way over the ledge... lost forever...

But wait.. is that Drew jumping over the railing to retrieve it!? .. daddy to the rescue! The things a parent does for their child... ooopsss!

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road (US Route 16A) is a scenic highway through the Black Hills. According to DangerousRoads.org, Iron Mountain is 17 miles long, has 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails and 3 tunnels. If you are in an RV, or anything bigger than a normal-sized car or truck, I wouldn't recommend it! It's scenic, one-lane tunnels are perfectly aligned to frame the faces on Mount Rushmore, according to its Wikipedia page. There are also some pretty incredible lookout points!

Burros, Antelope, and Buffalo! Oh My! - Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park

I won't lie, my main goal for this trip was to see some buffalo. And, man, Custer State Park did not disappoint! I was a little nervous at first, we were more than halfway through the Wildlife Loop and had maybe seen two buffalo, from really far away, and a few antelope. But then we saw THE BEGGING BURROS! Y'all, these donkeys made Henry's entire trip. It's all he talks about, is the donkeys that eat the apples. These things literally went from car to car checking for food and snacks. We shared a few of our leftover apples.

Just as we were on the last stretch of road, we finally saw buffalo, and I mean a lot of buffalo. They were all just hanging out near the road, grazing on some grass. They are definitely used to seeing people and weren't bothered by the large crowd gathering. We kept our distance and stayed in the truck. But we were able to get some pretty close-up pictures. Henry enjoyed yelling out the window, "BUFFALO!!" I was pretty thrilled myself.

While we were still in the park, we stopped at Blue Bell Lodge & Resort for lunch. We both got buffalo burgers, and they were so yummy. It probably was my favorite meal of the whole trip. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The lodge itself is really neat, with lots of mounts and a stone fireplace. Highly recommend if you're looking to grab something to eat while in the park.

Needles Highway

I know I bragged about Iron Mountain Highway, but Needles is even better! And curvier, more narrow, and heck maybe a little scarier. Deemed "impossible" to construct by critics, according to the Rapid City website, Needles Highway (SD Highway 87) is one of the "must-see" highways in South Dakota. If you are in a hurry to get somewhere fast, don't take this road. With it's sharp turns and narrow tunnels, the speed limit is 25 mph or slower. Anticipate 45 minutes to an hour to go the 14-mile stretch. And, again, no big RVs through this one.

LINK: Scenic Drives through Custer State Park

Badlands National Park

We finally made it to the Badlands National Park. As we pulled up to the gate, we saw another two buffalo just hanging out. The site of these animals never gets old! We ventured our way to the first lookout point. It was SO windy!! We also saw a couple of girls trying to get Instagram famous, going out on steep ledges for the perfect pics. Umm, no thank you. As we drove through the park, we saw more and more disrespectful and inappropriate behavior. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to stay on the boardwalks and trails, and not make your own path. This is why we can't have nice things! We headed to the visitor's center, and unfortunately it was closed due to COVID. We checked out the gift shop and made our way back through the park hoping for a sunset picture. A storm was rolling in so we didn't get that opportunity, but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

Since it was a long day and everyone was tired, we just ate the leftover pizza from the night before. And an extra root beer for good measure!

Day 3

Dinosaur Park

Another bright and early start, this time we headed to Dinosaur Park. Dinosaur Park is at the top of the hill overlooking Rapid City. There are five life-size dinosaurs that visitors can explore including an Apatosaurus, a Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and an Edmontosaurus. The dinosaurs were selected based on fossils found in South Dakota and western United States, according to Wikipedia. Admission is free. There is also a gift shop near the parking lot at the bottom of the hill.

Sturgis, Deadwood and Lead

We decided since we were so close to Sturgis, it would be silly not to drive through town and check it out. We stopped at the Sturgis welcome sign and met the nicest couple from Georgia. We chatted a bit about bikes, family, etc. before moving on the downtown area. Downtown Sturgis is really nice, with lots of T-Shirt shops, gift and coffee shops. We stopped in at the Coffee Shop at the Sturgis Hotel to grab some coffee before walking around. We checked out the Harley Davidson Rally Point (outdoor stage) and got a brief history lessons on Sturgis from a local before heading toward Deadwood.

Historic Deadwood is a neat little town with lots of touristy things to do. Old-time photos, T-shirt and gift shops, and lots of restaurants and bars. We passed the bar where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed. (Took a picture to prove we were there). Otherwise, we were onto our next adventure, and some lunch in Lead.

While its claim to fame is gold, the town of Lead was a little less gilded. Not really much of anything going on. We went into an antique shop, but there weren't really any antiques. We discovered that maybe antique shops are different out west? There is a Black Hills Mining Museum we stopped in but decided to pass on the two-room museum and grab lunch instead. We ate at the Stampmill Restaurant and Saloon. Neat old building with some decent food.

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway was one of my favorite parts of this trip. The beautiful 22-mile journey twists you through the canyon, surrounding you with tall pines, streams and waterfalls. We pulled off on the side and took in the views of both Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls. Absolutely breathtaking. I wish I could feel the fresh, crisp air and hear the sound of rushing waters once again. Truly magnificent.

Our next leg of the trip led us to the beautiful state of Wyoming! I will be sharing memories from that part of the trip in part two of this series!

I hope you've enjoyed this first part of our trip. If you have any questions about our trip or want any further recommendations, reach out! I'd love to chat!

Enjoy!

XOXO

Lauren

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